Phytic acid: Boon or bane?: Conflict between animal/human nutrition and plant health

Phytic acid (PA), chemically known as myo-inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP₆) is present in almost all eukaryotic cells including plants. In developing seeds it is accumulated in large quantities that serve as a primary reserve of phosphorus to the growing seedlings. Due to its chelating properties and the consequent sequestration of mineral micronutrients, influencing their absorption in the gut, PA is considered as an ‘antinutrient’. Moreover, due to its nondigestibility by monogastric animals, its excretion also raises concerns of eutrophication and phosphorous management in agriculture. At the same time many beneficial roles of PA in human health have been proposed. In plants, the role of PA in biotic and abiotic stress tolerance is evident from various low phytic acid (lpa) mutants that show compromised tolerance to such stresses. Recently, many novel roles for PA and its derivatives have been identified. In view of this renewed interest in phytate biology, we review the biosynthesis of PA and its derivatives, their role in plant and animal/human health. In light of the novel roles of PA and its derivatives the issues related to development of lpa mutants lines are also discussed.